Nothing seems to have an impact on this blooming cactus near here. Over the past few days, we've had high winds, cold temperatures, hail and snow ... and yet it continues to bloom. Lately, I have been much less resilient. Life is kicking my butt and the last four years of challenges, moves, unemployment and bad employment are taking their toll. Oh yea, and my Bernina stayed "fixed" after the trip to the dealer in Albuquerque for 2 whole weeks before it was dead in it's tracks again.
Here's the long view of this little cactus that could on the edge of a nearby arroyo.
Update: Ignorance may be bliss, but , as Hilda and Daryl have pointed out, those aren't flowers. Those optimistic, resilient yellow blooms that I noticed on the Cholla cactus are actually the fruit of the plant, which turns yellow in winter. From the DesertUSA.com web site:
CANE CHOLLA
Opuntia spinosior
Opuntia spinosior
Grows from desert floors to grasslands to lower mountain slopes, developing a thick trunk and with purple jointed joints.Desert: Chihuahuan Desert of southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico
Height: Up to 8 feet
Joints: Thick, tubercled, covered with gray spines
Flowers: From deep purple to yellow and white
Fruit: Flesh, spineless, yellow in winter
Elevation: 2,000-7,000 feet
6 comments:
Sophie, sorry about your run of challenges. That cholla is not currently blooming--those are the old flowers/fruit from last year. The flowers are a spectacular magenta color and it won't bloom until around June. Hang in there!
We have a lot of snow outside and another foot in the forecast for the weekend, but somehow the cactus in snow photo looks ... more bleak ... {{{{hugs}}} and may spring soon bloom in your life ... <3 Pat
Life sometimes is just not fair. Hope you will soon be feeling things are good. I've also been feeling this, my eldest son had had a brain tumor removed to find it was malignant, he will have a tough fight on his hands with all the treatment that he has to have, but he is feeling positive that the sun will shine for him and his young family again.
I wondered if those were actually blooms or something else and my optimistic world view saw a flowering cactus–thanks, Hilda, for setting me straight. I'll keep an eye out for the magenta blooms later this year.
Sophie Cholla's bloom in June. I took some photos and posted on my blog last June. Go here: http://patchouli-moon-studio.blogspot.com/2012/06/chollas-are-in-bloom.html
If you and Hilda don't mind so much, I think I'll hold onto my symbol of resiliency and optimism ... even if those aren't really sweet yellow blooms in the middle of winter. Ignorance is bliss after all :-)
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